7 Tips to Save at Disneyland

We have been promising my oldest son a Disneyland trip for over a year- but for various reasons it just being delayed. Of course a Disney trip isn’t exactly frugal, but you can find ways to help you save so you don’t get in debt on your family vacation!

Here are my 7 tips for saving on a Disneyland trip:

1)  Buy souvenirs before you go. I know that may sound a bit silly, but  honestly, it is easy to do and it will save you a LOT of money. You can shop for Disney merchandise at the Disney store, in store or online. The Disney Store had shirts for kids for only $3.99 and $5.99 for adults.

Plus many clothing stores carry Disney apparel. I was able to find a few t-shirts for myself at Walmart (and paid less that $7 a shirt). That is much better than the $40 shirts at Disneyland.

Check Target for glow sticks or other light up toys that will be fun at night- we actually had several “glowing” toys left over from Halloween that I brought along.

2)  Bring in your own food and drinks. Disneyland security will check for glass bottles, so don’t bring those, but we were able to carry in soda, juice drinks, crackers, fruit snacks, sandwiches, etc. Plenty of food and drinks so that we weren’t tempted to pay the high food costs at the park. Plus, if you are trying to eat healthier, this is a great way to make sure you know exactly what you are eating.

Note: Head to the park early and grab a locker to store your ice packed food, that way you don’t have to carry it with you on all the rides.

3)  Stay a little further. I was shocked at how low hotel prices were for the Disneyland area. If you stay about a mile from Disneyland, you can save a bundle rather than staying at one of the Disneyland resorts, or even the hotels right next to Disneyland. Plus, many of these hotels offer FREE shuttles to Disneyland so you can save on the parking fee at the park.

Note: Watch for parking fees that many hotels charge. If you don’t see a parking fee listed, you can call to verify before making your reservation.

4) Make it a car trip. This tip really is for families with children. The price you’ll pay on airfare, even with a deal, will probably cost more than the car ride. Plus, by taking your car, you can pack more (especially food, drinks, and souvenirs!).

We enjoyed our car trip and actually just made it part of the vacation experience (we stopped at the “Dinosaurs”)

5)  Use your points. Not everyone will agree with me on this point- but one of the ways that we save to go on family vacations each summer is by racking up points on our credit card. Of course, I’m not advocating going in debt with your card, but if you are able to pay every day expenses with your credit card, and pay it off each month like we do, then it is a nice benefit.

6) Purchase your tickets online, especially if you are staying for more than 1 day. Look into park hopper tickets, and multiday passes, but you’ll want to get them ahead of time. The prices at the gate are much higher and there is no sense in paying too much before you even get inside the gates!

7) Don’t forget the “extras”- sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, sweaters (yes, it can get chilly at night even in the summer), film/batteries, etc. Just like your souvenirs, you can purchase these ahead of time and you’ll save big bucks at the park.

Well, there you have it! 7 ways to help you save on your trip to Disneyland. Family vacations go too fast, so enjoy those precious moments, take lots of pictures and more than anything, HAVE FUN!

Do you have some good family vacation money saving tips? I’d love to hear them…

And don’t miss all the fun Summer FREEBIES & Discounts available for your kids!

Tagged as: Disneyland, Family Fun